For Mid-Prairie High School senior Tiffany Curtis, Easter break comes with a few strings this year. Violin ones, to be exact.

The 18-year old is one of 24 members of the Elite Strings at the Preucil School of Music who performs in Japan this month during the celebration of Dr. Suzuki’s 100th birthday.

Suzuki is world known for the Suzuki method that teaches music to very young children as if it were a language.

Curtis, who leaves March 24, will perform in the Grand Concert in Tokyo March 27, then goes on to Matsumoto where the grand ceremonies are March 29.

There will be concerts, classes and other activities there March 30-April 2, with a farewell concert April 3.

The group returns April 4, Easter Sunday.

Recital

Curtis will have her senior recital Thursday, March 4, at 3 p.m. in the Mid-Prairie High School auditorium. She will perform classical and popular selections on violin, French Horn, piano and also will sing.

The daughter of Gary and Becky Curtis (both faculty members in the Mid-Prairie School District), she started playing violin at age four, an instrument she selected herself. Her parents enrolled her in the Precuil School shortly afterwards.

Since then, Curtis has studied with Diane McCoy, Kimberly Meier-Sims, Andy Carlsen and, currently, Linda Judiesch.

In 1994, she performed with a group in England and in 1997 toured in Germany and Austria.

Her trip to Japan will be partially financed by a grant from the school.

Last fall, Curtis became the only Mid-Prairie student to qualify for All-State (as a violinist) music for four consecutive years. She is one of 2,000 American students nationwide who have achieved that level.

After graduation, Curtis will attend Luther College in Decorah, majoring in music.